Google Releases VP9 Video Standard

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Posted on Jan 31, 2013

Few people are interested in the nuts and bolts of how, exactly, videos stream so seamlessly from YouTube's servers to a user's computer. The secret is video compression technology, which turns the countless megabytes of a high-definition video clip into a more compact data stream that unfolds without any hiccups or glitches.

Now, according to CNET, Google has released a new video-compression standard called VP9, the successor to the VP8 system that didn't exactly take the world by storm. VP9 is being built into the latest versions of Google's Chrome browser. And the most striking thing about it is that it competes directly with industry standard H264, which is used by YouTube, video cameras, and Blu-Ray players.

One of the key differences between VP9 and H264, according to CNET, is that the latter standard requires users to pay royalties to an umbrella organization called MPEG LA. VP9, on the other hand, is absolutely free, a strategy intended to spur its widespread dissemination.

Do you want to make sure your YouTube videos are encoded up to the industry standard? Call the video production experts at Gearshift (703-962-1270) to learn what we can do for you!